England complete innings win despite 99-run last-wicket stand

By Mark Gleeson

PORT ELIZABETH (Reuters) – England won the third test on Monday, but made heavy weather of wrapping up South Africa’s tail on the last day at St George’s Park to go 2-1 up in the series after a dominant innings and 53-run victory.

England needed four wickets to win in their 500th overseas test, but had to overcome late resistance and feisty 71 from Keshav Maharaj and 39 from debutant Dane Paterson before completing the task 10 minutes before lunch.

They bowled South Africa out for 237 in their second innings for a commanding victory after forcing the follow-on, when the home side were 209 all out in their first innings in reply to a mammoth 499 for nine declared.

Maharaj and Paterson put on a ground Test record partnership of 99 for the last wicket as they frustrated the England bowlers.

But it was only a matter of time before England completed their first away victory by an innings since success in Sydney in 2011.

“It’s a great template for how we want to play our Test cricket with big first innings score and drive it on from there,” said England captain Joe Root.

It took just three balls on Monday for England to claim their first victim as Stuart Broad forced Vernon Philander (14) to play an inside edge onto his pad that popped up for Ollie Pope to take his sixth catch of the match.

Mark Wood’s first ball after replacing Broad saw him force Kagiso Rabada into a leading edge which flew up to mid-on where Broad took an easy catch. Rabada, who will miss the last test because of suspension, scored 16 off 24 balls.

Dom Bess’ first over saw him skid a ball on to bowl Anrich Nortje (5), leaving Paterson to join Maharaj for a late cameo that proved the home side’s best partnership of a poor test performance.

Maharaj was eventually run out, but not before smashing his way to a second Test 50.

Root bowled 10 successive overs as he went in search for a first Test five wicket haul, having taken four overnight, but without success.

He even tried his luck with the new ball but Maharaj hit him for three successive fours and then two sixes in an over before the England skipper took himself off.

ENGLAND COMPLETE..
ENGLAND 1st innings 499 for 9( declared)
South Africa 1st innings
Dean Elgar c Ollie Pope b Dom Bess 35
Pieter Malan c&b Dom Bess 18
Zubayr Hamza c Ollie Pope b Dom Bess 10
Anrich Nortje c Joe Root b Ben Stokes 18
Faf du Plessis c Ollie Pope b Dom Bess 8
Rassie van der Dussen b Dom Bess 24
Quinton de Kock b Sam Curran 63
Vernon Philander b Stuart Broad 27
Keshav Maharaj b Stuart Broad 0
Kagiso Rabada c Mark Wood b Stuart Broad 1
Dane Paterson Not Out 0
Extras 4b 0lb 0nb 0pen 1w 5
Total (86.4 overs) 209 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-50 Malan, 2-60 Hamza, 3-63 Elgar, 4-71 du Plessis, 5-109 van der Dussen, 6-154 Nortje, 7-208 Philander, 8-208 de Kock, 9-208 Maharaj, 10-209 Rabada
Bowling : Stuart Broad 13.4 – 6- 30 – 3, Sam Curran 11 – 2 – 32 – 1,
Dom Bess 31 – 12 – 51 – 5, Mark Wood 11 – 4 – 31 – 0 (1w),
Joe Denly 4 – 1 – 10 – 0, Joe Root 11 – 4 – 25- 0,Ben Stokes 5 – 1 – 26 – 1.

SOUTH AFRICA 2nd innings
Pieter Malan lbw Joe Root 12
Dean Elgar b Mark Wood 15
Zubayr Hamza c Jos Buttler b Mark Wood 2
Faf du Plessis c Ollie Pope b Joe Root 36
Rassie van der Dussen c Ollie Pope b Joe Root 10
Quinton de Kock c Mark Wood b Joe Root 3
Vernon Philander c Ollie Pope b Stuart Broad 13
Keshav Maharaj Run Out Sam Curran 71
Kagiso Rabada c Stuart Broad b Mark Wood 16
Anrich Nortje b Dom Bess 5
Dane Paterson Not Out 39
Extras 12b 1lb 1nb 0pen 1w 15

Total (88.5 overs) 237 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-18 Elgar, 2-22 Hamza, 3-44 Malan, 4-66 van der Dussen, 5-74 de Kock, 6-83 du Plessis, 7-102 Philander, 8-128 Rabada, 9-138 Nortje, 10-237 Maharaj
Bowling: Stuart Broad 10 – 5 – 14 – 1 (1nb),Sam Curran 6 – 0 – 46 – 0, Mark Wood 16.5 – 6 – 32 – 3 (1w), Dom Bess 22 – 11 – 36 – 1, Ben Stokes 5 – 2 – 9 – 0, Joe Root 29 – 13- 87 – 4 .

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